Bears Fall To Quakers, 67-64, In Regular Season Final

Philadelphia, PA -
Senior guard Ibrahim Jaaber scored 16 of his game high 22 points in the second half to rally Penn to a hard-fought 67-64 Ivy League win over Brown in the final game of the season for the Bears.

Trailing 67-64, Brown had a chance to tie the game at the end, but junior Damon Huffman's three-point attempt was off its mark with two seconds remaining, as the Ivy Champion Quakers held on for the victory. The game was tied 10 times and there were nine lead changes.

Brown finished its season with an 11-18 overall mark, 6-8 in the Ivy League, while Penn extended its record to 21-8, 12-1 in Ivy play, with one regular season game remaining.

Brown held a 32-30 lead at the half in a fiercely contested, physical first session that saw several lead changes. Brown led early by six points and the Quakers came back to lead by as many as eight points, 26-18, with 4:35 remaining in the half.

Huffman put the Brown team on his shoulders and took over the game, scoring 14 points to end the half by hitting four straight 3-point baskets that lifted the Bears to their 32-30 halftime advantage.

Junior Chris Skrelja connected on a 3-point basket early in the second half to give the Bears a 37-32 lead, but the Quakers came back and pulled ahead by a four-point margin, 47-43, on two free throws by Jaaber.

The lead changed once again when junior Mark McAndrew buried a 3-point basket with 9:36 left to play, giving the Bears a 53-50 lead. A 6-0 Quakers' run put Penn ahead by three points, 56-53, on a layup by Brian Grandieri.

Brown took a 60-58 lead on a baseline jump shot by junior Mark MacDonald with 3:54 left in the game, but the Quakers answered to take the lead for good, 63-62, with 2:10 left to play on a layup by Jaaber. After Penn went ahead by three points, 65-62, but Brown's Scott Friske pulled the Bears to within one point, 65-64 on two free throws.

Huffman led the Bears with 16 points, scoring all of his points in the first half. Bears' senior guard Marcus Becker, who scored 13 points in his final collegiate game, set the Brown "Iron Man" record by playing in his school record 111th game, eclipsing the Brown record of 110 games played by Alai Nuualiitia from 1999-2003. Becker played in every game during his Brown career, starting Brown's last 55 consecutive games.

MacDonald finished the game with 9 points and a team high 6 rebounds, while Skrelja added 8 points for the Bears.

Jaaber grabbed a game high 7 rebounds and handed out six assists in his final game at the Palestra. Senior Mark Zoller added 10 points for the Quakers.